Another great day..

We had a really nice day yesterday. We slept in... then got around and took the kids and went to an outlet mall area. We didn't do a ton of shopping. We looked around and had a nice time looking at things.  Orlando is kind of overwhelming with so many things to do... there is so much here.  It's pretty crazy here...  it just seems like there are a lot of people here that spend a fortune on vacation... hotels, meals, gifts, and then designer clothing at stores that are wow... out of this world expensive... pretty crazy... i don't think that it's anything new... it's probably always been that way around vacation destinations... it just seems all the more overwhelming at times now that i'm going back visiting vacation places as a husband with kids... and not a carefree single...  ha... either that or i'm officially old... ha...

After a few months of asking... we allowed LeAnn to get her ears pierced.  It was exciting... She did a great job... she was so brave...  i'll post a few pictures...

The tears didn't last long... she hasn't complained at all after the first few seconds when she started to cry a bit... she's all fine and very proud of her new earrings now... what a cutie...

well.. tomorrow we are planning on heading to Busch Gardens... so we are going to head to bed early... night night..

Life is good

    We had another great day here on vacation.  We moved to a different hotel as Angie and Todd got on their way back to PA.  The new hotel is in a different area of Orlando.  It is another really nice timeshare.  We spent the day at Downtown Disney, which is a collection of shops that have all kinds of toys and Disney assorted goods.  We ate at T-Rex for lunch.  It is like Rainforest Cafe, but with a Dinosaur theme.  It was a really nice Lunch together.  The kids ate really well.  We looked at a much of different shops and got the kids some little gifts there, then we headed to our hotel to meet up with some new friends.  The new place is also really nice.  We got all of our stuff up to the room and got settled in.  The, we changed and went out to swim n the pool for a few hours.  It was really nice.  Their pool design is really unique.  They have a few swimming pools that are really well designed with slides and gradual descents into the water that are really nice for young kids.  Jacob really had a blast... so did LeAnn and Elijah.  LeAnn has really picked up on swimming in the past few days.  The pool also has a "lazy river" that has a current that pushes you through a large loop to relax.  They have inner tubes that you can float on, or you can just bob along.  We have Jacob swimming in a life preserver these days... but it has really been a lot of fun.  I haven't seen a pool done like this before.  It is really nice.  After the kids wore out... (ok us too.. )  we came up to the room and ate some dinner and watched cartoons.  Oh yeah.. i watched Penn State get beat too...  ha... too bad..  We'll see what tomorrow holds..

Vacationing in Orlando

    Well... we brought the kids to Orlando.. not to do the normal Disney Craziness that is usually associated with a vacation here.. but just to relax and visit with friends and family.  It has been really nice.  Traci's sister, Angie, and her husband, Todd, came down here and allowed us to stay in their timeshare with them for a week with their two little ones, Lillah and Lydia.  It has been a really nice break.   The last time we came to Orlando, it was nice getting to go to the Disney parks, but it wasn't at all a relaxing vacation.  Instead it was chaos... trying to load the car.. get out the door.. and see everything you could possibly squeeze into a day to be sure to get every cent worth of experience out of every day... By the end of the week last time, we were exhausted.. and not feeling very rested as we made the 8 hour drive back to Navarre.  So, as a result, this time, we have taken the complete opposite approach to the vacation.  We have scheduled absolutely nothing.  We had a list of a few things to do in the area, but we don't have a schedule... and you know what... it is great!..  it has been a very relaxing and fun experience just having fun with our kids.. playing in the resort pools... getting out to do some local shopping and looking around as needed... and really enjoying just spending time together... not rushing around on a crazy schedule... wow!... what a difference that makes!.. If you haven't tried it... give it a shot...  it's so nice just being away from the house.. and not feeling the urge to go out and work on something around the house... or somewhere else... just relaxing... it's wonderful... :)

   So... if you're contemplating a vacation as the summer wraps up...  you don't necessarily have to make a huge trip out of it... jut take a nice drive to get away from your place... find a nice hotel... and don't do ... ANYTHING...  read a book.. swim in the pool...  and relax...  what a crazy idea...

Man... this Air Force Life is making me soft.. ha..